The Scarlet Hoplite of Gallia
by Johnnieboy11
Summary: A death atop a tower and the fall of a beacon for humanity. All of these were meant to signify Pyrrha Nikos' life coming to an abrupt end. Yet, by some twist of fate, she lives. Stuck in a world foreign to her and encountering foes not to dissimilar from her own, the Hoplite will have to fight alongside a beleaguered nation, in search for victory and answers.
1. Prologue:Bruhl, the Rebirth of a Hero

**_AN:I own nothing. Pyrrha Nikos belongs to Rooster Teeth and Valkyria Chronicles belongs to Sega._**

 ** _The Scarlet Hoplite of Gallia  
_**

 ** _Prologue:Bruhl, the Rebirth of A Hero_**

... So much pain...

Such darkness...

It all came to a grinding halt on top of Beacon Tower. The scarlet hoplite knew all too well what had struck her. And what she'd willingly done. But in those final moments, as she lay on the ground, disarmed and wounded... Her powers had come to her in a flash. Cinder had been wounded and the day in Beacon... Saved, for now. Even if Grimm have overrun it... At least her friends and family made it out alive. She'd gotten shot in the chest and before she vanished, she heard Ruby...

For now, it was up to the young Huntress prodigy to find what had happened... Slowly, ever so slowly, emerald eyes opened to the dim light of a cloud-covered morning. Tears ran down to the ground below her as the scarlet-haired Mistrali warrior eyed the clouds above. She lay there, aware of what had occurred and thankful the whole ordeal was over. She knew not where she was, but that'd be secondary to figuring out if she was truly alive. For now, she was simply contempt with laying and resting.

She felt a hand through her scarlet hair, to find it loose. Long, wavy red hair, soft as silk, left untied and loose after the disappearance of her crown. She felt the middle of her chest and found an inkling of a phantom pain, but no hole drilled into her heart... No real pain, no wound. She suddenly perked up into a seating position, raggedly breathing as her eyes went wide... she looked at her fingers, those that touched where the wound had been and saw no blood.

That couldn't be. She recalled the hit nailing her. There wasn't even scarring there...

She took a long gaze around her, finding in her line of sight nothing but a clearing and trees. She was in the middle of said Clearing... Standing up, she pushed the hair back over her shoulders and got it out of her eyes, before scanning around... Her ankle didn't hurt anymore either. Her Achilles' Heel hadn't been cut. She looked at her leg, only to see the armor plating present with no hole.

Left of her, embedded within the dirt and grass, lay a bronze shield. Akoúo̱... She ran to and grabbed the plated bronzed shield and looked over it, joyful she found at least something to defend herself with. She slid it onto her arm, then eyed the surrounding area for Miló, yet found no trace of the weapon. Not even its shards... Sighing deeply, she shook her head and wiped the tears away, realizing they'd been present for the better part of her wakeup here.

She shook her head and kept her hair in check as best she could, before swiveling about and holding Akoúo̱ close. As she walked, moving into the forest itself, she just wandered aimlessly. Perhaps in due time, she'd run into a settlement or something to rest at. Perhaps... She wasn't dead. Maybe whatever happened after her supposed 'death' to her flung her across into the Emerald Forest... No, a Grimm would've come to face her by now. They would've sensed her uncertainty, sadness...

She shook her head and steeled herself... This was no time to question why she survived...

The deeper into the forests she walked, the more she felt like she was getting surrounded, like she was getting watched. She stopped for a moment, clenching her fists and looked around. Silhouettes moved through the shrubs and trees and she heard boots slam into dirt. Readying Akoúo̱, she stood and watched as some of the figures emerged, rifles drawn and aimed at her. Humans...

She wanted to speak... She wanted to tell them she was friendly... But felt her words stuck in her throat...

"Who are you!? Hold it right there!" Warned one of the soldiers, clad in red and holding an SMG. A squad of 10 soldiers. They were all wearing armors resembling those of medieval knights, with steel plating and brown uniforms worn underneath. Pyrrha took a defensive stance with her shield, frightened as she was unable to let a word out of her mouth. She swallowed...

"She doesn't look local, sir." One of the other soldiers noted.

"She's in Imperial territory, Private... She'd better damn well answer." The officer in red growled. "Who are you?"

Pyrrha was unable to speak... For the first time in her life, Pyrrha Nikos was unable to let out a word as she stood face-to-face with these soldiers, who seemed ready to kill her on the slightest misgiving. She stood there, staring into the brown eyes of the officer... And froze as she heard a child's scream. She gasped, swiveling about as she saw a soldier pull a young girl with dark-blue hair out of the shrubs.

"Found her, Captain!" The soldiers, with a more gruff voice, noted, pushing forth the child. "Little Darkie bitch tried to get away!"

And Pyrrha's eyes went wide, horrified as she saw the soldier bring down the stock of her rifle onto the back of the girl's head, pushing her to the ground... Blood poured out of a wound onto the floor and the girl whimpered in pain, holding her hands over her head... The Scarlet Hoplite glared at the officer as the man lowered his weapon and said "Whoever you are, get out of here... We have bigger fish to fry..." then walked and picked the girl, who was probably 6 or 7, by the collar and slamming her against a tree. "Thought you could get away, runt? Nobody escapes the Imperial Hunters, do you understand?" And he pulled out a handgun...

 ** _-Play OST:The Moment(By Miracle of Sound)-_**

At that point, Pyrrha gritted her teeth... Her semblance activated due to her anger and, with all the metal present in the man's equipment and armor, she managed to use her polarity to slam the man against another tree, liberating the girl from his grip. She looked to said girl, then waved her off as the soldiers raised their rifles once again to greet her... She pinned the Captain of these 'Hunters' to the tree, cracking the bark... And his armor.

The first gunshot echoed. It bounced off Pyrrha's shield. She looked toward the soldier that shot it with a burning glare, dropped the officer to the floor, then surged forth and used her shield as cover while the Soldier emptied his machine gun in it. Bullets pinged and bounced off her aura-defended shield as she slammed into the man, pinning him to a tree and knocking him out. Using her polarity, she yanked the gun out of the next soldier's hand, charged him, then beat him over the head with the rifle, breaking the wooden butt-stock over his plated helmet and knocking him out.

She raised the shield as more bullets cracked the air around her. Her scarlet hair waved in the wind as she burst into a sprint toward those shooting at her, using her shields and armor plating to its utmost effectiveness as the rounds bounced off. She grabbed a second soldier with polarity, raised him off the ground and threw him into a tree hard enough only to knock him out, before she threw her shield toward a second soldier. It spun through the air and slammed him to the ground, then Pyrrha grabbed it as it returned to her, grabbed an Imp by the ankle and threw him over her head, disarming him and knocking him out.

She then grabbed another pair of soldiers using both hands and slammed them against each-other mid-air, utilizing her semblance yet again. Raising her shield, she found another bullet bounce off it, this one from afar. She glared toward the glint of the scope and saw the Imp sniper... Then ran toward it. A second shot struck. Then a third. And a forth went into the dirt beside her.

As she got in range, she graciously pirouetted and threw the shield, then took cover behind a tree as she heard a metallic clang and a grunt of pain. She extended her hand and grabbed the shield out of mid-air. She looked at the three remaining soldiers, her emerald eyes filled with the wrath of a mother bear... And the trio of survivors scrambled to leave. Pyrrha grabbed one of them using her Polarity, pulling him back and pinning him to the ground with her shield. She cocked back her fist, prepared to knock him out...

"By the Valkyria... Who are you?" The soldier asked...

Pyrrha grabbed him, then pinned him to a wall and pointed at the girl and asked what the hell they were doing... Simply by hand signs. Though she could already tell... Seeing the man unwilling to answer and avoiding eye contact, the girl sighed and let him go, slinging the shield onto her back and breaking the rifle he had on him. She grabbed a handgun, one of the unbroken Rifles and showed the little gal to follow her, extending her hand, which the young one took.

Her Death and her own problems could wait. Right now, she needed to find this girl a shelter...

The little girl tugged her hand and and pointed toward a way which showed promise, as the trees and shrubbery thinned out. And gunfire echoed in the distance, in that direction. And Pyrrha also noticed the bleeding was still going... She knelt and looked at the girl's head quickly, running a hand through the hair... The little girl winced as Pyrrha ran a finger over the wound. It was minor, not deep enough to be an issue... Thankfully... She breathed out, then turned the girl toward her and wiped what seemed to be tears from her eyes. Despite her own heartbreak, Pyrrha gave the young girl a smile... She then placed her forehead onto the girl's and focused...

A thin, dark-blue cover enveloped the little girl and Pyrrha felt the warmth of her young, beautiful soul. In her sight, the wound at the top of the girl's head began to heal... Oh, thank the Gods... She smiled at the girl, ruffled her hair and that garnered a chuckle out of the cutie. Pyrrha then picked her up as the blanket of Aura she'd given the girl dissipated. She held the girl with one hand and dashed forward, past the trees as the baby girl held onto her neck.

As they reached the treeline, Pyrrha skid to a halt, eyes wide at the sight... A village lit afire, under attack... She gazed down at a gate under attack, then glared at the Imperial troops attacking it. The Scarlet hoplite saw the Gate's defenders whittled down to the last 4. Town Watchmen fought with every bullet in their magazine to keep the bastards away. Leading them, a fair, brown-haired maiden with hazel eyes and a red bonnet.

The Huntress moved down the hill, set the little girl behind a house, then watched as the Defenders lost another... Down to three... She growled, then ran and jumped, pressing a foot over the Sandbag walls used for the defense, before jumping onto and pummeling an Imperial officer, then raised her shield as Machine Gun fire rattled and struck her shielding. As she was charged, she grabbed one of them by the rifle, spun him and threw him over her head, slammed another man with her shield and sent a third barreling through a house's window. Eyes wide as she heard a tracked vehicle move toward them, she staggered as she saw an Imperial tank... It turned its turret toward her and its machine gun fired, but Pyrrha was quicker, raising her shield to block the bullets and kneeling to keep herself defended.

The rounds pinged off the plate and her Aura flared as the onslaught of bullets intensified, with a dozen Imperial troops joining. Did those she let go come to warn them? She drew a handgun from her belt, then snapped off a shot into the leg of an Imperial trooper, blood painting the pavement below. She hid back behind her shield as the firing became worse... And took her scroll out of her pocket, checking her Aura... it was in the yellow, nearing red...

She heard return fire and looked back to see the Town watchmen engaging while the others were distracted... Pyrrha took this as her chance. She stood up and charged forward, punching a man in the mouth and denting his armor by using polarity. That sent him flying. She raised her shield to block a sniper shot coming in from behind her, then used Polarity again to pin a man to the floor.

She drew the Rifle she picked up, used the shield as a support and fired toward a pair of Imperials coming in from behind the tank. The brown-haired girl ran toward her, firing her rifle and killing an Imperial trooper about to outflank her, before going back-to-back with Pyrrha and saying "Whoever you are, thanks for taking those shots for us!" before she gasped and cried "DUCK!", diving on her belly to the floor as the Imperial tank aimed its main gun, its Machine Gun having ceased firing. It aimed for her... And she looked back, to see the brown-haired girl firing her rifle... If she didn't... If she would miss, the people...

She _won't_... She won't miss... As the tank's short-length barrel thundered, Pyrrha took a stance that shocked the young woman behind her. One foot back, one forward, holding her shield with both hands and yelling... The shell left the barrel of the gun, a 75 millimeter cannon... And struck Pyrrha's now-magnetized and fully aura-covered shield, slamming against it as Pyrrha cried in pain... She howled a battle cry so loud that everyone halted... She felt her muscles strain and then tear, the bones in her forearm bend, crack and break. Tears welled in her eyes. The pain was immeasurable and those few milliseconds Pyrrha had the Shell trapped in the magnetic field of her Polarity felt like eons. Using her shield and pushing hard to the side with the last of her remaining strength, she deflected the shell. _Deflected_ it... Into an already-ruined building... It spun through the air aimlessly, punched through a window and detonated inside, sending Pyrrha flying across the ground, her shield out of her grip hand and slamming into the pavement in front of her.

Her arm broken, Pyrrha watched from the ground, face dirty, cut by shrapnel, as the Imperials had halted... The tank commander appeared out of the hatch, eyes wide with shock. The Watchmen themselves had seen the event... And as the stupor passed, the redhead heard another vehicle approach... And a cannon thunder... Had she failed? She felt her heart sink as Alicia lowered her rifle...

Then... The Imperial tank burst aflame, its engine burning a deep azure hue... Then detonating. Six soldiers were caught in the blast and brown-haired leader got thrown back just half a meter. Pyrrha looked at her broken, swollen arms and grunted in pain, trying to use them. She saw as a tank with blue camouflage appeared and a man spoke to the young, brown-haired maiden... Her lip trembled and she smiled, leaning her head onto the pavement as she felt the pain overtake her.

 ** _-End OST-_**

The little girl ran toward her and fell to her knees beside her savior, looking at her broken, weeping form, but with a smile. The deep emerald eyes of Pyrrha stared into the dark-blue eyes of the little girl whose Aura she'd just awakened. She yelled something, but Pyrrha couldn't hear... All she heard was a deep ringing in her ears thanks to the explosion. Slowly, Pyrrha, whilst praying she'd wake up, closed her eyes as footsteps came toward her... Maybe this was just a last-moment dream, before her death. Some joke played by the Gods, something in the Afterlife...

She felt her eyes flutter... Her heart beat in her chest and a deep pain awoke her. Her arms felt heavier than they'd ever been. Shaking her head and groaning, Pyrrha felt herself on a metal surface. She heard a joyful voice say "Thank God, you're alive." before her eyes opened fully... It was blurry, but she saw beside her, the brown-haired woman she'd saved... The woman smiled widely, then said "What you did out there was awesome... And you saved a lot of us. You got a name?"

Pyrrha swallowed... She felt her throat coarse, rough... She tried to move her arms, then yelped in pain as she felt shocking, sharp pain travel through them, all the way to her fingers. Looking down, she saw them bandaged and with wood supports attached to the bandages to keep them in place. On the right side was Akoúo̱. It had a black mark, a deep gash, across its front, perhaps from the impact of the tank shell... She counted the people in the vehicle with them. A man clad in civilian's clothing, sitting on the turret, meaning this was the tank she'd seen drive in... The brown-haired girl... And a little girl with dark-blue hair and a shoal. She gasped, then looked around frantically, scared and panting.

"The girl... The girl..." she whimpered, her voice rough...

"Little Misha? The girl you saved?" The town watchgirl said "She's fine. With her family..." She then told Pyrrha... She felt a weight lift off her heart as she leaned her hair back and sighed in relief. Closing her eyes... She finally allowed herself to weep... A silent sob... Her tears, welling in her eyes, fell to the metallic floor of the tank. She pursed her lips and the watchgirl got to her side, wiping the tears away and saying "Hey, hey. You're safe now. What's your name?"

"... Pyrrha..." The girl whimpered again. Her throat itched.

"Nice to meet you, Pyrrha. I'm Alicia. The guy in the turret is a friend of mine, Welkin and the girl driving the tank is Isara. Like I said, you're safe and sound now... And your arms are healing surprisingly quickly, so don't focus on the pain for now and tell me what you need." Alicia then offered, smiling. "I owe you that much for saving my butt back there..."

"Water... Please..." She pleaded... Alicia nodded, took her canteen from her belt and popped the cap open, before holding up Pyrrha's head and pouring the water down her throat. The Scarlet Hoplite swallowed the cold, sweet relief like there was no tomorrow. Droplets escaped her mouth, running down her cheeks and intercepting new tears. She leaned her head back and Alicia set it back down onto the makeshift pillow. Pyrrha panted, then said "Thank you, Alicia... Where am I?"

"... Uhm, Gallia. Why do you ask?" Alicia noted "Also... You seem Mediterranean in origin, at least from your outfit... You from Hellas or some place near by it?"

Pyrrha blinked... She wasn't home... She really wasn't home, alright. No Grimm to have found her, an Empire attacking a nearby village, firearms... Murder, tanks, war. She was most definitely not home. She spoke "I'm... From around the bend..." before sighing. Alicia sighed, then gave a nod and said "Get some rest, Pyrrha. We'll wake you up when we reach Randgriz."

"Okay..." The girl said... And immediately upon leaning her head back, her eyes closed shut and she fell asleep...


	2. Fort Amaranthine

Surprisingly, Pyrrha's arms had healed incredibly quick, thank the Gods for Aura. Enough so that even Alicia had been suspicious when she removed her bandages and the splints. She'd brushed off the mishap as her arms not having been necessarily broken as much as dislocated. Her Aura had either gotten a boost worth days or she was actually right and when she felt bones break, it was just the shell reverberating... Eitherway, her arms were sore, bruised but now healing... Thankful for this development, the girl sighed deeply as she tried to move them around... They were still stiff, so...

She was inside one of the country's Military bases, known as Fort Amaranthine. The country itself... Gallia... Seemed beautiful. Too bad it was beset by war... She awaited her place on a bench outside the commander's office. The commander, a woman by the name of Captain Eleanor Varrot, was leading the place. A female captain leading a Regiment. Fun. Currently, she was in a meeting with the Officers of each squad. Welkin and Alicia, apparently, were trained officers for the Gallian Militia.

She stood up as she saw the door open and the different officers, clad in blue uniforms, scatter. Welkin and Alicia came up to her and the latter smiled, then said "Cap Varrot is waiting for you, Pyrrha. She just wants to ask a few questions, so don't be too frightened to talk to her." and she got a nod from the troubled Huntress, who smiled. Alicia patted her on the shoulder, then said "We'll be in Barracks Room 13, gathering up the rest of Squad 7. Meet us there once you're done."

Pyrrha nodded, before waving to them and walking inside. She unknowingly put her hand to where her chest had been pierced by Cinder's arrow. And she saw the woman sitting behind the desk. Well, standing, now. She showed Pyr to sit wherever she may, so the girl took a seat on one of the couches in the room, before she was handed a cup of tea. And Captain Varrot greeted "Hello, miss."

"Hello, Captain..." She spoke warily. A state of mind Varrot felt in her voice.

"Are you well?" The Captain offered.

"I'm... Okay..." She answered. "I... I'm just a bit dazzled."

"By winding up in the middle of a war on what's possibly a cordial visit?" The Captain observed "Yes, that would mess with people." And she was true to that. She herself felt like a fish out of water during EWI. Now, she felt more well-prepared, considering she was assigned as an officer in the higher echelons. She pushed her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose, then said "You aren't from around these parts."

"How'd you figure, ma'am?"

Perceptiveness was probably required to get as far as she had gotten in the ranks of the Militia. The Captain smiled a warm, familiar smile at the girl. Her voice was softer now "Well, it isn't everyday I see what looks like a modern-day female Hoplite walk into the fields of battle, Miss Nikos. And as far as I've been told by Sergeant Melchiott, you pulled quite the impressive set of stunts... I don't know if I should believe her story about deflecting a _tank shell_ of all things, should I?"

"I... Uh..." Pyrrha stuttered, staring into the woman's eyes for a moment... Varrot caught that glimpse of worry, then snorted.

"Oh, Valkyrur above, you did..." She murmured. Continuing, Varrot turned to the pair of guns crossed above her window. Bolt-action rifles, it seemed... And she spoke as if she read aloud the report from Alicia "You deflected a tank shell, managed to disarm and beat back a squad of Darcsen Hunters and did all that using a bronze shield... Which, mind you, has no damage to speak of aside from a cross mark from where the shell struck... It boggles the mind, miss Nikos."

"... Captain... I..." The Huntress still struggled to find words... Swallowing, she looked to the woman as a realization struck her and said "I am most definitely _not_ from here... Nor... Anywhere in your world, I fear..."

"Oh...?" Varrot quirked a brow at that. She turned to the girl, to see her feeling the spot between her breast plate's sides, right atop, where the sternum was... Varrot bit her lower lip and spoke calmly, assuring Pyrrha "You may say whatever you wish, Miss Nikos, and it will not leave these four walls. Whether I believe you or not is an entirely different matter, but I _am_ willing to listen."

Pyrrha nodded... "I... Come from a world known as... As..."

Hesitation wasn't Pyrrha's usual... But she felt like she could trust Captain Varrot. If only for a little... She bit down on mistrust, assuring herself she needed to do this to earn some kind of allies here at the risk of going to a psych ward. Finally, calming herself, she finished "Remnant... I come from Remnant... A world similar, yet so different to your own, Captain..."

Varrot pressed her lips together "Pardon me, miss Nikos, but... What do you mean?"

"I... Captain Varrot, ma'am... Do your people have a concept of Aura?"

A shake of the head reinforced Pyrrha's beliefs of this being a different realm... She stood from her seat, then raised her right hand... Surrounded by what looked like a gauntlet of black, her open palm soon attracted a metallic object sat on the shelf to her right. A small handgun left it stand and was grabbed mid-flight by Pyrrha. Her hand trembling, Pyrrha lifted the weapon in front of a stunned Captain Varrot...

And the woman spoke, her composure near-gone "H-How did you just..."

"I can explain it all to you, Captain, it'll..." She paused, her gaze falling to the floor and her trembling hand "It will be a long story."

Pyrrha began with the basics of Remnant, evolving slowly from legends about Mankind's birth to the Grimm, the usage of Aura, Dust and even tidbits of written history. Pyrrha had kept a journal and a crystal of Fire Dust with her, thanks to her mother, so she was quick to show the woman that what she said was serious. Next, came the demonstration of her semblance, the explanation of hunters and huntresses, their jobs against the Grimm and other such items... All this time, Varrot sat and listened intently, her eyes locked on the stuttering, bumbling Pyrrha Nikos as the redhead finished her explanation.

The Captain had heard far-fetched stories before. And if Pyrrha hadn't shown her her own semblance, that of Polarity, the Captain would've been quite unable to believe the events told by the girl. Add to that Alicia's own reports and Varrot was fairly certain they were dealing with the first Extra-Terrestrial encounter. And it was a superpowered teenage girl that looked like Hellenic Hoplites and the Goddess Artemis...

The middle-aged vet of the First Europan War took off her glasses, rubbing her eyes, then spoke "By God and the holy spirits, my girl... If that isn't some of the most fantastical storytelling I've heard, I don't know what it is... I wouldn't have believed it had you not showed me your... 'Semblance'..." She hesitated for a moment "And I don't think I _can_ report this to my superiors without being section-eighted and tossed into the nearest madhouse..."

Pyrrha pressed her lips together, frowning, then spoke "I'm... Sorry, Captain... But it's the truth."

"I know, my girl... I know..." She sighed, leaning back into her chair. She looked to Pyrrha, her eyes focusing into Pyrrha's own, before she asked "Then... How in God's name did you wind up here of all places? And in the middle of the Second Europan War at its worst..."

"..." Pyrrha rubbed her arm, averting her gaze from the Captain's own. Varrot had seen that stare before. She didn't want to question, nor press any further, so she hummed.

"You can tell me when you feel like it, miss Nikos... I can see it bothers you..." Varrot nodded. "I'd suggest you go join Squad 7 and mingle with them for now, since you know the Lieutenant, Sergeant and Lieutenant's sister. I'll find an assignment for all of you later... And, miss Nikos, please, do tie up your hair. We have some strict rules regarding length. No need to cut it, but keep it tidy."

Pyrrha nodded. "Thank you, ma'am..." before she stood up... She weakly saluted, unsure if she should, before Varrot nodded and saluted back.

Pyrrha had left the room, allowing the Captain time to process all of the information she'd brought forth. She looked out through the windows at the massive Fort Amaranthine. She placed a hand on the window, feeling the glass warmed by the spring sunlight and watching as the Regiments present made their daily patrols. Men and women from all walks of life, teenagers like her with peppy smiles. Gods above...

There was a War on. Pyr knew and saw it firsthand. And it was a War of wrongdoings. She wasn't a warrior capable of taking people's lives. She was a Huntress, a protector of Mankind. Yet here she was, in the fortress that held an Army poised to fight the same men who nearly shot her but a few hours ago. She sighed, letting her shoulders sag, before she walked down the halls, to find barracks 13. She didn't hold a grudge, but she did care for that little girl, Misha... They were _hunting_ her specifically. Calling her a 'Darkie'... She needed answers.

As she made it to the doorway, she head a ruckus inside. She moved her right hand to the door handle, but pulled back, her heart skipping a beat. She closed her eyes, breathed in deep, then exhaled, before propping the door open and watching as the group mingled and chatted. Some stopped and looked at the door. A grey-haired girl smiled, then waved. "Hey! Check it out! A hoplite!"

Two people, both teenagers, turned to see her. A blonde boy with blue eyes and a calm smile and a black-haired girl, a fringe covering her left eye. Her hazel eyes locked with Pyr's and she felt a chill shoot up her spine. The girl swallowed air, then waved "Hello, everyone..." and stepped inside. She soon realized the weight on her shoulders and looked to her back, to see her shield. Akoúo̱ held onto her back by the straps...

"She's missing her spear, though." Another kid, one with black hair and a strange monocle, quipped from one of the bunks in the corner. "Still, mad props for the armor! Looks good on ya, girl!"

"Uh... T-Thanks, I guess?" Pyrrha took pause.

She saw Alicia poke through the crowd. With a smile, Pyrrha's acquaintance waved her over. Pyr nodded, then stepped forward, weighed down by Akoúo̱ ever so slightly. Alicia spoke to the girl as she approached "Pyrrha. Glad to see you made it. How're your arms?"

"A little stiff, Alicia, but they can move better than when we first arrived... I'm glad to see you too." The girl nodded, smiling. She felt more at ease with people she knew, but she figured she'd meet the rest of the squad soon enough. If not cooperate with them. "So uh... Captain Varrot said I should stay with Squad Seven... Where should I put my things?"

"Follow me." Alicia nodded, leading Pyrrha into the back of the messy room, where one bunk lay unoccupied. Pyr set her shield down off her back, before sitting herself down. She watched Alicia sit down in front of her, only to ask "How do you feel?"

"I'm... Getting better...?" The Redhead responded slowly to Alicia, tired eyes clear "It's been a busy day..."

"I bet." Alicia said. "Misha did tell us how you rescued her from the Hunters. Though I think she may have uh... _Inflated_ the story. Like kids do." before leaning in "It true you used some kind of magic to pin those Hunters to the trees and disarm them... Like the metal in their armors was bending to your will. I'm not sure if I should believe a kid's words or verify it with my own-" and she gasped as Pyrrha covertly brought an empty food can from the table into her hand, before squeaking whisperingly "Ohmygodyouactuallyhavemagic...!" And covering her mouth.

Pyrrha chuckled, then spoke softly "It's not exactly magic, but, yes... If you consider magnets magic." as she played with the can. She set it back on the table, then continued "I'm not from around the place, Alicia... I told the Captain about it and I will tell the squad about it when the time is right. But I want only you and the Lieutenant to know about it... Perhaps even his sister."

"You want us to keep a secret from the squad?" Alicia whispered. " _This_ big a secret?"

"Please... I'd feel better to tell them myself once I know them better." Pyrrha begged, looking the girl in her brown eyes. Alicia sighed, then relented with a nod. She stood up, then pointed toward Welkin and waved her forth... Pyr swallowed empty once again, her heart skipping a beat, before she stood and followed Alicia. After a brief explanation to Welkin(and a demonstration), Pyr was back in her bunk as the two talked it over. Before either could come and tell her the final verdict, however, a man stepped inside. An officer.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant Gunther?" He asked, approaching Welkin.

"Here." Welkin nodded to the man. He was handed an envelope... And the soldier saluted.

"Sorry to bother, Lieutenant... We've got our mobilization orders. The entire Third Regiment is gonna be moving due west, to the city of Vasel. The Imps have taken the bridge. Our orders from higher up are to get it back. Read the briefing, tell your men and prep to leave at 0500 in the morning tomorrow."

"Thank you, sergeant." Welkin nodded. "Dismissed." He saluted. The NCO saluted back, before walking out to deliver the rest of the orders...

Pyr paused... Combat was gonna come much sooner than she expected... She needed to hold back this time, let the real soldiers deal with the fighting... She was not a killer...

Her philosophy, however, would be tested soon...


	3. West Bank Woes

With a dozen other vehicles, tanks included among them, the Third Regiment had departed for Vasel a few hours ago. The road had been bumpy, due to the fact it was mostly dirt, but Pyrrha was thankfully not bothered by it. However, she couldn't catch a wink of sleep as her heart beat harder than the marching boots of the soldiers. She stared at her hands, at the gauntlet on her right arm, then at the shield laying beside her. She was going to war. _To war._ On a foreign world... She swallowed empty, trying to find something to drink, to wash her dry mouth...

"Here." A warm voice spoke.

She saw a canteen appear in front of her and followed the armored hand of the woman who extended it to her. A redhead, her hair caught in buns on the sides of her head and with a choker and lipstick. She looked uh... Interesting? She gave Pyrrha a smile, then said "C'mon, drink. I can year ya swallowing nothing, kiddo." as Pyrrha took the canteen and uncapped it.

"Thank you..." The girl said meekly, before dunking her head back and swallowing half the canteen's contents in three big gulps. She leaned forward, before capping the canteen and handing it to the woman. She chuckled, sliding the thing back into her pocket, before going back to checking a weapon made of wood and steel, which Pyrrha could only assume was a submachine gun, going by the size of the bullets.

"No problem, kiddo." Her comrade said. "I'm Brigitte Stark, though most people call me Rosie. Who're ya?"

"Pyrrha... Pyrrha Nikos. A pleasure to meet you, Rosie." The girl smiled at Rosie. She looked around at the others, before watching a grey-haired gal sit herself down in front of her. She extended a hair tie to Pyrrha, then said "You may wanna tie your hair. We're goin' into combat after all." smiling too. Her voice was somewhat more... irritating... Than Rosie's, but she seemed nice.

"Oh, fair, thank you..." She started, staring at the girl as she was handed the item.

"Edy. Edy Nelson. Future idol!" She smirked... Oh, no.

Rosie snorted "Nelson, the only way you're getting to be an idol is if the judges at one of the shows are deaf.", words to which Edy glared fiery daggers at her. Pyrrha looked away, smiling half a smile as she went to tie her hair, tidying it up in her usual pony-tail, before picking up Akoúo̱ and sliding it onto her back. She stood up, gazing upon the columns of smoke that arose from the center of the city of Vasel. She could see the massive, mechanical bridge they were meant to take back, as well as the city itself. The spots where combat was fiercest were visible by the tracers and shells being exchanged...

The Gallian Forces had established a clear beachhead within the confines of the city's western area. As they entered the outskirts, they were greeted by aid stations, machine gun nests and the banners of the Gallian Regular Army. According to the few bits of data she could gather, the Regulars were Gallia's professionally-trained army, the ones that were usually around during peace-time, when the Militia wasn't needed. They were meant to be the beacon of Gallia's military might...

Going by the number of casualties streaming in from within the town, that seemed to either have changed, or not have been real at all. The vehicles stopped dead in the middle of the Gallian encampment and the squads disembarked, with Pyrrha being among the first. Akoúo̱ rested on her back, its weight, a comfort Pyrrha was glad she had. She watched as Squad Seven formed up, with the Lieutenant and Sergeant following the Captain for a briefing.

She decided to stay at a bit of a distance from them. This was war and death was a cruel mistress when she found herself in it. Pyrrha knew Death too well for her liking. Any friendships she could form with the squad were jeopardized by the simple fact of war. If she wanted to form friendships... She herself was still lost in her own thoughts regarding her death... At least she'd managed to save little Misha...

... She gazed upon the burning town... No... She could save more. More than just Misha... And she didn't need to kill. She hadn't killed those men, instead knocking them out. And Prisoners of War did exist. She could only hope the Gallians would treat any she managed to knock out well. She approached the gathered squad just as Welkin had come back.

"Alright, listen up, Sevens. We've got our first mission for the day." Welkin started, opening up a map and pointing to their approximate position. There was a line drawn with marker toward the riverbank. Their targets... "Our objective is to secure two positions on the West Bank of Vasel, to allow us to move our base of operations within the town hall. Said town hall is currently occupied by the Imperial Army. Recon counted at least two Imperial Light Tanks and two dozen infantry in the area of operations. We will be entering the place through the two locations we secure, that being the Library Square here..." He pointed at the square on the map "And the Riverbank ramp here." He pointed at it. "For this, we'll be dividing into two teams, with one team occupying the Square, while I take the _Edelweiss_ and the other team to secure the ramp. We'll then pincer the enemy and capture the Hall. All clear?"

"Yessir!" The squad chorused.

"Alright... Let's get to it, Sevens. Move it out." Welkin nodded, rolling up the map and handing it back to Captain Varrot. She saluted, bid them good luck and left for her CP Tent. Pyrrha pulled her shield to her arm, tightening the straps properly, before joining the team going for the Library Square. She watched the burly, tanned, farmer-looking man with what looked like a massive anti-tank weapon on his shoulder rallying his team.

She saw Rosie tag along, racking the bolt of her SMG. The older woman gave Pyr a smile, then said "Well, I'll be. Largo, we got the Hoplite joining us."

"The more the merrier." The old man said. "Welcome to the squad, kiddo. I'm Largo Potter."

"A pleasure..." Pyrrha nodded, smiling weakly back as she joined the patrol.

"You got no gun, Pyrrha?" Rosie asked.

Pyr shook her head... "I... Don't think I'm gonna need one..." And that got a chuckle out of Largo.

"Sure thing, kid. And I don't need a Lance to take out tanks." He quipped. Pyr elected to stay quiet for the rest of the walk. And as the teams set up in their respective areas, the girl readied her shield, eyeing every corner, wall and window to make sure nobody'd surprise them. The squad settled in, readying their weapons in case of the enemy attacking, with sandbags being put up by the team's engineers.

Pyr was standing up, shield ready... She heard footsteps to the left, from an alleyway beside the building blocking their view into the town hall square. She watched as the first Imperial emerged, only to raise her shield as he started firing his SMG. Bullets pinged off of Akoúo̱'s front as the Hoplite charged forth. Two more weapons, of a larger caliber than the SMG, joined the fire, shots reverberating and almost pushing her shield out. She saw two riflemen... Scouts, she recalled... Beside the submachine gunner.

Slamming shield-first into the face of the Shock Trooper, Pyrrha sent the man into the wall, before spinning and kicking one of the riflemen in the face with the heel of her boot, almost breaking the man's face plate and sending him to the floor. She raised her shield to block another shot from the other rifleman, before she grappled his rifle, wresting it from his hand and slamming its butt hard enough into the man's armored face to break the wooden stock. Bleeding from his nose, the Imperial collapsed, knocked out, as Pyrrha tossed aside his broken rifle.

Bullets raked the wall behind her, but she was quick to put her shield up and take a knee. Below her feet was the SMG from the Shock Trooper. She stomped down onto it, breaking its rickety metal stock, before roundhouse-kicking the weapon into the face of another Trooper and throwing her shield in a follow up attack. Akoúo̱ spun through the air, bouncing against the walls of the alley and slamming into the two Imperial Shock Troops that attempted to advance, knocking them both off their feet and out of the fight.

Using her semblance, Pyrrha summoned her shield back to her, catching it mid-air and slinging it on her arm. She looked back to Largo, with the gaze and pride of a lioness. Surprised was the single word she'd use to describe him right now. Rosie laughed as she approached Pyrrha, giving her a pat on the shoulder and saying "Holy crap, Pyrrha, that was something else!"

"They're out cold! Holy shit!" A Scout stated, a smile on her freckled face. "Nice, Pyr! Prisoners!"

Pyrrha nodded, arranging her shield as she moved ahead of the squad. She wanted to make sure nobody had to die... But going by the gunshots coming from the riverbank, that wasn't gonna be the case. She skidded to a halt as she saw a tank appear to her right, before raising her shield as its machine gun raked her position, forcing the Gallians back into the safe cover of the alley. The burst of MG fire halted as a grenade arched its way toward Pyrrha...

She gasped, catching it mid-flight and throwing it high into the sky, before throwing her shield again and jumping over a sandbag wall. The shield struck true, sending the man that threw the grenade to the floor and Pyrrha's boots made contact with another man's chest, pinning him to the floor and knocking the air out of his lungs and the gun out of his hands. She rolled forward, grabbing her shield out of flight, before looking at the second tank in the square, its turret tracking the _Edelweiss_ as it ascended the ramp.

She gasped as she heard gunfire from her own team, watching as two Imperial soldiers fell, raked by Rosie's SMG, while the rest of the team advanced. She turned to Largo, to see him aiming that Lance, an Anti-Tank weapon, she now realized, toward the enemy tank. She grit her teeth, only noticing the blue-shining radiator on the back of the tank now... Looked like a pretty obvious weak-spot, so...

She threw her shield into it, lodging the bronze-colored defensive tool into the radiator. It whirred, sputtered, then died, as did the tank's engine. Pyr retrieved her shield and watched as a black-haired woman raised her scoped rifle and fired, taking out a sniper that was aiming for her. The dead soldier collapsed, falling off the roof with a wet _crunch..._ The redhead winced, but couldn't bring herself to look at the corpse, instead turning toward the men defending the rest of the square.

The crew of the tank she disabled jumped out, trying to draw weapons, but Pyr disarmed them quickly, throwing one to the floor and knocking out the others with a shield throw. She ran toward the other tank just as _Edelweiss's_ gun struck the tracks. The response fire was a low-velocity 75mm shell bouncing off of the Gallian tank's front armor, before Pyrrha climbed onto the vehicle.

She threw her shield into the radiator again, before pulling the top hatch off the cupola and grabbing the tank's commander-gunner out of it. She looked him in the eye, glaring a deathly glare, before she saw the man lift his hands up in surrender. She dropped him onto the back of the tank, where five Gallian guns were pointed at him... Then she turned toward the Town Hall.

She jumped off the tank, her Aura flaring as bullets raked her shield, greaves and breastplate. She grunted, rolling forth after landing to maintain momentum and charged the enemy MG nest. Jumping over the Sandbag Wall, she punched the gunner of the weapon and grabbed the loader by the arm, twisting it and nearly pulling it out of its socket as she swept her leg under his feet, knocking him to the floor.

Bullets pinged off her shield as she then charged a Shock Trooper, punting him over a sandbag wall, head-first into the floor and hard enough to knock his helmet off of his head. With a swivel-kick to the side of the face of the last man outside, the fight was over and Pyrrha was going inside to clear the place, before the Gallians could kill them... She didn't hate the Gallians. They were in the middle of a war. They were defending their homes... But she couldn't fathom killing... Not even in war. She was meant to protect mankind...

Most of the doors were open. _Most._ The Imps must've either all run out to engage the Gallians or they were looting the place. The halls were filled with papers and other items like cans. Two of the rooms had bunks in them. For the troops to sleep, she imagined. They thought this place would be their forward ops base to attack the capital... She turned the corner to the mayor's office...

And upon entering it, she felt the cold, hard wood of a rifle stock strike her in the face. She staggered, nearly falling backward as blood fell from her nose. Bringing her shield up out of instinct, the redhead felt the rifle's bullets slam into the plate. Every shot sent a small spike of pain through her arms, which were still healing from the event with the tank... She rocked back her fist, then charged forward, letting out a blood-curdling battle cry, filled with anger... And, with emerald-shining eyes literally burning with hatred, her hardened fist made contact with the man's chest. But this wasn't a simple knock-out punch. Reinforced by her Aura and semblance, it bent the man's armor and did _worse..._

Pyr heard the crack of bones as the man was sent flying. She had felt his ribcage collapse under the powered strike, as his cuirass bent and broke around the fist. He flew backward, slamming against the wall hard enough to leave a human-sized crack in the bricks... Pyrrha's eyes went wide as saucers as she saw blood spew out of the man's mouth. He slid down the wall, collapsed and died as his heart failed, his black eyes still open, staring into Pyrrha's...

The girl staggered, doubling over and looking at her balled right fist. Her lips trembled and her heart fired off like a machine gun as she stopped against the wall behind her, sliding down on it. Akoúo̱ fell, detached from her hand, to the floor. She covered her face, curling up... Looking at her own two hands, she knew they were now stained with blood... The blood of a man she never met, nor knew and would have no chance of knowing again...

As her breathing turned fast, shallow, she looked up to the ceiling and let out a frightful scream of desperation, to the skies of this new world. A scream damning what she had just done out of anger. A scream damning what her second day in a new world turned out to be...

When Alicia entered the town hall, mere minutes after Pyrrha, she'd heard the girl's scream. She'd rushed up the stairs to the hall and turned the corner, only to find Pyrrha curled up, crying into her knees... Alicia looked inside, to see what had caused the event... With eyes wide, she sat and watched the corpse left behind by Pyrrha. And slowly, she realized Pyrrha was not one to kill... And what had just occurred... Oh, God...

Alicia knelt beside Pyrrha as the others, including one of the Squad's three medics, came inside. She put a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder, then spoke softly "Pyrrha... It's... I'm... I'm so sorry you had to do that..."

"... I didn't..." She choked out, sobbing... "He... He hit me... He was... Shooting and I... I lost control and... Oh, Gods!" She wept... Alicia stopped for a moment, trying to find words to comfort her... But her search was futile... Instead, she wrapped her arms around Pyrrha and sat down beside her, looking to the doc and shaking her head... Alicia had a feeling it would be a while... And Pyrrha really was a sweet girl. She didn't seem the killer type... All they could do now was be beside her until this passed...

It still didn't make things better... They'd need to have a talk.


End file.
